Wine Hiking
When I first moved to the Heidelberg area, I heard a word I had never come across before: wine hike. I was already familiar with hiking and had enjoyed plenty of trails before, but a wine hike? That definitely caught my attention.
In wine regions, these hikes are actually very common and popular events. As summer approaches and the weather gets better, various wine festivals and wine hikes start to pop up everywhere. The idea is simple but brilliant: a specified route winds through beautiful vineyards, with different wine stands set up at intervals along the way. Each stand represents a local winery, offering tastings of their wines. You walk the route, stop for a sip (or two) at each stand, and continue on to the next. There’s usually food available too, along with benches or standing tables where you can relax and soak up the atmosphere.
It’s truly a fun activity, especially with a group of friends! The hikes are typically around 8–10 km long, making them the perfect day out.
Every year, my friends and I kick off the wine hike season on the 1st of May, usually starting from Bensheim or Zwingenberg. That particular hike is quite ambitious—almost 21 km long! Of course, we never quite manage to complete the entire route, but that’s not the point. It’s all about enjoying the day, the wine, and the company. After that, the season is officially open for us, and we try to join as many wine hikes in our region as possible.
This year, I even managed to make it to Vienna for a wine hike! It was absolutely beautiful. The only difference was the local terminology: in Germany, we call it Weinschorle (wine spritzer), whereas in Vienna they simply say Spritzer. But hey, small language differences never get in the way of drinking good wine and having a great time!
At some wine hikes, you even receive a small special glass for tastings, which you can carry from stand to stand. Many people collect these glasses as souvenirs from each year. I’ve managed to collect a few myself—and each one comes with great memories.
A day spent in nature with friends, walking, chatting, and enjoying good drinks—what’s not to love about that?
And if you’re not a wine lover, don’t worry. You can still join the fun and enjoy non-alcoholic options—no judgment here! The most important thing is to have a great walk, meet wonderful people, and simply have fun.
Cheers 👍
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